Flexible fishing lure having an integral retainer and method of making same

Abstract

A flexible plastic fishing lure has an integral retainer that is configured proximal to a front end of the fishing lure and has at least one retainer barb. The integral retainer is a harder and tougher material than the plastic used in the body of the fishing lure and is configured to seat over the jig-head barb to prevent the flexible plastic fishing lure from sliding down along the jig-head. The integral retainer has at least one retainer barb that more effectively holds the flexible plastic to the integral retainer. The integral retainer may have extension tabs that extend out radially and in some cases extend out from the flexible plastic body. The integral retainer may also have an aperture that extend along the length of the integral retainer and may be used to inject the flexible plastic into a mold.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A flexible plastic fishing lure comprising:
 a) a flexible body consisting essentially of plastic and comprising:
 i) an outer surface; 
 ii) a leading end; and 
 iii) a trailing end; 
 iv) a lure length from the leading end to the trailing end; 
 
 b) an integral retainer retained substantially within the outer surface of the flexible body and comprising:
 i) a front end having a front surface configured proximal to the leading end of the flexible body; 
 ii) a back end having a back surface that is configured more proximal to the trailing end of the flexible body than the front end; 
 iii) a length and length axis from said front end to said back end; 
 iv) a retainer barb that extends out from the length axis to form an enlarged portion; 
 
 v) an aperture that extends from the front surface of the front end, to the back surface of the back end; 
 wherein said aperture is configured to receive a shank of a hook therethrough to detachably attach the hook to the flexible fishing lure; and wherein a barb on said hook extends through the aperture and is retained by the integral retainer. 
 
     
     
       2. The flexible fishing lure of  claim 1 , wherein the integral retainer is configured completely within the flexible body, wherein the integral retainer is completely within the outer surface of the flexible body. 
     
     
       3. The flexible fishing lure of  claim 1 , wherein only the front surface of the integral retainer extends out from the flexible body. 
     
     
       4. The flexible fishing lure of  claim 1 , wherein the integral retainer comprises an extension tab that extends at least to the outer surface of the flexible body. 
     
     
       5. The flexible fishing lure of  claim 1 , wherein the integral retainer comprises an extension tab that extends beyond the outer surface of the flexible body. 
     
     
       6. The flexible fishing lure of  claim 1 , wherein the integral retainer comprises a first and a second extension tab that extend beyond the outer surface of the flexible body on opposite sides of the flexible fishing lure. 
     
     
       7. The flexible fishing lure of  claim 1 , wherein the integral retainer comprises a retainer extension that extends from a front portion of the integral retainer to the retainer barb and wherein the retainer extension has an outer radial dimension that is less than an outer radial dimension of said retainer barb. 
     
     
       8. The flexible fishing lure of  claim 1 , wherein the integral retainer comprises a retainer extension that extends from a front portion of the integral retainer to the retainer barb and wherein the retainer extension is a post. 
     
     
       9. The flexible fishing lure of  claim 1 , wherein the integral retainer comprises a barb-slot that extends from the aperture wherein the barb-slot is configured to receive the barb of said hook therethrough. 
     
     
       10. The flexible fishing lure of  claim 1 , wherein the integral retainer comprises two or more retainer barbs configured along the length of the integral retainer. 
     
     
       11. The flexible fishing lure of  claim 1 , wherein the integral retainer is a one-piece unit made of single piece of material. 
     
     
       12. The flexible fishing lure of  claim 1 , wherein the flexible body is in a shape selected from the group consisting of: worm, crayfish, fish, eel, frog, and lizard; and wherein the length axis of the integral retainer extends along the length of the flexible body.